Katana Wands
by Meiji no Pan
Summary: A RKHP crossover that I think you'll like. It's just what would happen if the RK charecters were actually wicheswizards in the HP time. The summery sucks though, just read it.
1. Prolog: Where do we go From Here

**Katana Wands**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

Prologue:Where do we go from here?

Two figures stumbled through the dark, digging through the ruble that had once been a sturdy mansion for their fallen comrades. "Lily! James!"

"Answer us!"

One of the figures with his shovel sized hands, tossed the giant sized boulders out of the way. Dust and gravel caught in his wild black hair and scraggly wire like beard. His beetle-black eyes whizzed back and forth, frantically searching the debris.

He had no worry of hitting his companion, even if he had time to think. For even though he was shorter than average, he would zip back and forth, clearing away smaller debris, so fast, most people would only see his fiery hair in the neat high ponytail. As he whipped his head back and forth, searching franticly, his hair brushed past the cross-shaped scar on his left cheek was the only thing that blemished his otherwise perfectly-handsome features. His amber eyes flashed in the night as he caught sight of a glimpse of red hair that was a different shade from his own.

"Hagrid!" he called out. "I think I found Lily!" The young man ran to the locks of red that tumbled out from under the collapsed wall. He unsheathed the ever present katana by his side, and made a few swift movements, slicing the wall into many pieces to reveal the young mother beneath.

"Kenshin, is she all right!" cried the one called Hagrid, as he ran over. He looked down, and saw something that made his heart freeze and the color drain from his face.

The sound of his motorbike and the roaring wind filled the ears of Sirius Black, as he rode over the clouds that covered the moon from the view of the Muggles that slept in their beds, oblivious to the tragedy that would occur if his hunch was right and he didn't get there in time.

The wind-chill made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end when he thought of what would happen to his best friends if he were too late. He didn't think he could stand it if he found the corpses that had once--

He immediately stopped that line of thinking right where it was. He was going to make it. He would make it in time to save them. _They weren't going to die!_ His heart began to beat furiously against his ribcage, making him think that the Muggles could hear it from all the way down on the ground. He was approaching Godric's Hollow, and would soon see their house in the distance . . . but he couldn't see it. He got lower, so that he was clear of the cloud cover that had made him virtually invisible to the rest of the world. What he saw made his heart stop. Or rather . . . what he didn't see.

He didn't see the walls that had once held up a roof that sheltered those who he considered his family. He didn't see the windows that had shone with happiness not four days previous. He didn't even see the gate that kept so many a Muggle from crossing into the yard and accidentally discovering the secret of the Potters. What he _did_ see was a pile of rubble that spread ten feet off the property, illuminated by the full moon.

He landed on the driveway like a plane on a landing strip. As soon as his bike had come to a stop, he got off, threw his helmet away, and dashed forward. He ran a few paces into the rubble and collapsed to his knees. All of the color had drained from his face and his eyes were wide as he looked around at the scene in front of him, not really seeing it.

"They went down fighting."

The cold, yet gentle, voice snapped Sirius out of his trance as his eyes finally registered what he was seeing. In front of him was the nineteen-year-old boy, Himura Kenshin, who had fought beside him, James, and the others for five years now. The only exception to the age limit in the Order to ever be conducted. He was standing as still as a statue, his hands hung at his sides, one holding his sword in a loose grasp as he looked down at the dead body of James Potter. A small trickle of blood flowed out of the corner of James' mouth, as well as down from his brow, where a gapping cut in the shape of a lightning bolt could be seen. His gray, lifeless eyes stared out blankly into the night.

Sirius watched as Kenshin knelt down and gently closed the eyes of Sirius' fallen brother.

"From what we could tell, James held Voldemort off, while Lily tried to escape with Harry." Kenshin got up from his kneeling position and Sirius stared at him.

"'We'?" he asked.

As if to answer his question, Hagrid appeared out of nowhere next to Kenshin. In his hands, he held something that was wrapped in a blanket and squirming ever-so-slightly. As the first shallow rays of dawn started to peek over the horizon, Sirius knew instantly what, or rather _who,_ Hagrid was holding in his shovel-sized hands. He got to his feet in a flash.

"Give me Harry, Hagrid!" he commanded the giant of a man. "I'm his godfather; James gave me the responsibility to take care of him if anything happened!" He didn't mean to shout, but for some reason, he was.

Hagrid stood firm with little Harry in his oversized hands. "Sorry, Sirius, but Dumbledore said that Harry is going to go live with his aunt and uncle," he said.

Sirius could not believe his ears; he had met Lily's sister and he knew that she _hated_ anything and anyone that had to do with magic. He could not believe that Dumbledore would even consider sending Harry to _her_. "Hagrid, you can't send Harry there; they're Muggles, and worst of all, you know how much Petunia hates wizards and any type of magic!"

"I'm sorry, Sirius, but I can't ignore Dumbledore's orders!"

Sirius looked at Kenshin for help; he hadn't said a thing while Hagrid was there. Kenshin was just standing there, in the same position he was in when Sirius got there, staring out into the rubble. He didn't even look like he was listening. "Kenshin, you've met Petunia, and you know what she's like. We can't send Harry there!"

Kenshin then turned to look at Sirius with the golden eyes of a predator. Sirius froze when he saw those eyes. He knew right then that there was no way he was going to win this argument.

"All right then. Just let me hold him a bit before you go."

Hagrid handed the little bundle into Sirius' outstretched arms. Harry stirred in his sleep as he was passed from one person to the other. Sirius looked at the face of his godson with a silent sadness that made him forget that he was crying. This would be the last time he would see Harry in a long time, he knew this, and he was saddened beyond belief that this had to happen. He then noticed the cut on his forehead . . . in the shape of a lightning bolt. "We don't know how he survived it." It was Kenshin. He must have noticed the look on Sirius' face.

After a moment of silence, Sirius handed Harry back to Hagrid. "Take my bike; it will get you there faster." Hagrid looked at Sirius in surprise. Seeing this, he said, "I won't be needing it anymore."

After Hagrid had left on the flying motorbike, the sun almost fully in the sky, Kenshin took his eyes off of the departing giant to look at Sirius. "Where do we go from here?" he asked.

Sirius knew what he had to do. He had to find that sleazy little rat that betrayed the trust of his brother. As for Kenshin . . . "No offense or anything, but you're on your own. As for me, I have some business to take care of." He began to walk away, but then, looked back. Now that he thought about it, the war was officially over. What was this kid, who had chosen to kill too early in his young life, going to do now that he was out of a job? He couldn't apply for Auror; he was too old. "What _are_ you going to do?" he asked.

Kenshin looked at Sirius, closed his eyes . . . then, in Sirius' view, did something that no one would believe: he took the scabbard of his katana out of his belt, sheathed the weapon, and planted it in the ground. It stood there, vertically, like some ghastly marker of death, as Kenshin started to walk away. "I made a promise," he stated, his back still turned to Sirius. "I made a promise to someone, and I intend to fulfill that promise. I'm going back to Japan for a while. Shaku wanted to see me before I go." He stopped and turned to face Sirius. Sirius was startled to see that the color of his eyes had changed. They were no longer amber, but a calm violet, even though they still held their piercing quality. "I don't know when the next time we will see each other again will be, so for now . . . ja ne."

He then continued on his way.

Ja ne-see ya'


	2. Ch1 New Freinds, Old Lives

**WARNING:** there are tons of Japanese words in this fic, so I would suggest that before reading you print out the glossary that I have painstakingly constructed at the end of this fic. There are some words in here that are not used by most fanfic authors. Have fun****

**Katana Wands**

**Disclaimer: If you think I'd be dumb enough to say I own HP and RK, then you're baka!**

Chapter One:New Friends, Old Lives

The sweet summer night air was slightly scented with the fragrance of late-blooming sakura blossoms. Kenshin took the moment to enjoy the sweet scent as he walked down the quiet street on the east edge of the large city of Tokyo, while his old gray cat, Nekone, was resting, wrapped around his shoulders. It was a warm night, and all seemed well.

Kenshin had been back in Japan for the sum of about ten years now. He had been wandering all over the country, going from one wizarding (or Muggle) habitant to the next, earning his keep through simple household chores. Most of the time, though, he would not be able to find a place to stay until after the sun went down, which was when it would be next-to-impossible to knock on someone's door and ask to spend the night. Any person who would be willing to let a stranger into his/her house after dark would be a damned fool. So, he wouldn't bother, and go find a comfortable alley to spend the night in (preferably, one with very little garbage in it). And, on the rare occasion he had enough money to stay at an inn or hotel, he wouldn't waste the opportunity.

The only problem with staying at a hotel would be that either Nekone would be forced to sleep outside, or Kenshin would have to find a way to sneak her in. But, if he had to make Nekone stay out, she always managed to pounce onto Kenshin's head, from somewhere, in the morning when he left his room and start kneading his head. And, on those hot summer days, Nekone would be the smart one, sprinting ahead to a shady spot to lie down, and wait for Kenshin to catch up. When he did, she would get up, sprint to the next one, and wait for him there. She would get a little miffed if he went a way that she wasn't expecting, though, because then she would have to do some extra sprinting. Nevertheless, that cat had been his constant companion, ever since she had wandered onto Hiko's property fifteen years ago as a little kitten. And, he had been eternally grateful ever since.

All in all, over the past ten years, things had gone rather smoothly. He hadn't been called forth to kill anyone, thankfully, unlike when he was in England, and he was able to help people whenever he had the opportunity. Well, maybe that wasn't a _fair_ analogy of the two countries, but it was true. Back then, there wasn't a _single_ night that went by where there wasn't a house burning, or a person killed. Also, during the war in England ten years ago, there were many Japanese wizarding families who were worried about letting their children go to Hogwarts on the Exchange Students Program. Not only did they want to protect their kids from Voldemort (even though he had started to move his attention to Japan, and had sent Death Eaters to attack people there near the end), but they had also heard of the Hitokiri Battousai, rumored to be a young man who had been turned into a virtual killing machine by all the violence. They didn't want their children to become something like _that_. _'Just think how shocked they would be if they knew Battousai was walking down this street at this _very_ moment with a cat around his shoulders,'_ he thought with a soft chuckle.

How many times during his travels did he hear mothers tell their children that if they weren't good, Hitokiri Battousai would come in the night and get them?

Too many . . . The smile slipped from his lips.

It was both flattering _and_ downplaying to be talked about in that manner. While one part of that statement meant that he had become a legend in his homeland, the other part said that he was an outcast. A _demon_ of some kind. This was one of the many reasons he kept the fact that he used to be Hitokiri Battousai secret.

An owl hooting in the distance caused Kenshin to come out of his depressed musings. "Oro?" he said quietly, in mild surprise. _'It must be getting late,'_ he thought. He looked at the battered watch on his wrist to check the time. 11:30. Time to find a comfortable alley to spend the night. He had walked a long way today, and it was time for some much-needed rest. Nekone had had the right idea.

He had barely started his search, however, when he heard someone coming up behind him. He turned around just in time to see a beautiful girl in her older teens, with her long ebony hair tied up in a high ponytail swinging behind her and sapphire eyes creased in concentration, come running around the corner and collide right into him. "Oro!" His mind registered the clatter of a wooden bokken, as well as the metallic rattle of his own sakabatou(which was currently residing in a cloth-holder, along with its sheath, so people wouldn't be frightened) and Nekone's cry of surprise, as she was jolted from her sleep, digging her claws into Kenshin's shoulder before jumping off. Both Kenshin and the girl crashed to the ground. "Ororo!" he cried as he fell.

"Gomen!" she said quickly, before getting up, grabbing her bokken, and running off. Nekone hissed at her escaping form.

But not before Kenshin got a good look at her shoulder . . . and the deep gash that resided there.

She ran around the next corner, as Kenshin stared after her, then he quickly got to his feet, picked up his sakabatou and jogged around the corner she just came out from, with Nekone, hot on his heels. He saw nothing. But, then he heard a sound that was, very much, like a person moaning. It was coming from around yet _another_ corner. He went around that one, and saw an unconscious man, around his late twenties, with a bokken-sized bump on his head, holding both a wand _and_ a knife . . . which had a sizable amount of blood on it.

He absent-mindedly picked up Nekone, as she started to weave her way between his ankles like a snake, and set her back on his shoulder.

'_He must have attacked that girl, and may have even used that wand on her.'_ He then followed the same path the girl had taken, but at a much faster pace. _'And, if she's a Muggle, her memory will need to be altered. Didn't random Muggle attacks in Japan go out with WWII?' _

Kamiya Kaoru continued to run down the street. She had to get to Yahiko, quick, before something happened. _'This is just great. Dumbledore-sensei gives me the rest of the year off so that I can attend Otousan's funeral and _this_ happens!'_ She and Yahiko had barely put their father in the ground, before these assholes showed up and tried convince them to sell them their father's land.

It was a slightly battered old dojo that didn't seem like much on the outside, but to Kaoru and her little brother, Yahiko, it was their home. They had declined the offer, but those damned thugs wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. They couldn't go to the authorities; what little evidence they had was circumstantial.

Again and again they had tried to convince Kaoru (who was seventeen, and, in the wizarding world, that was of age, ergo she was the only one in the family who could make those types of decisions after her dad died) that it would be better to sell the dojo, but again and again she had flat out refused. Nevertheless, they wanted that land, and they wanted it _bad_. It was only a matter of time until they resorted to try and force the Kamiyas out. They had even started to chase away the students. Only a few remained.

Kaoru had been walking home from a visit with Genzai-sensei and his two little granddaughters, when one of the thugs jumped out of nowhere and pulled her into that alley. He threatened her with both knife _and_ wand, to try and force her to give up the land. When she refused for the thousandth time, he became enraged and tried to rip her clothes off, with the intent of raping her. _'Thank God I had my bokken close at hand.'_ She'd managed to knock the bastard out, but not before he put a pretty good gash in her shoulder. After quickly straightening her slightly-messed clothes, she ran off in the direction of the dojo. If they had sent someone after her, then they had, most likely, sent someone after Yahiko as well.

So, after picking up her bokken, and the brief collision with that handsome redhead with the cat, she was off at a run, around the corner, on a B-line for the dojo.

As she came around the last corner on the way to the dojo, she heard the distinctive voice of Yahiko come from the walkway between two apartment buildings. "Get off me, you asshole!" They had _definitely_ sent someone after him. And, _what_ was he doing out so late at night?

Gripping her bokken and flattening herself against the front of the building, she looked around the corner. _'Why the hell didn't I bring my wand with me . . .? Because the _last_ time I used magic in self—defense or to help Yahiko out of a jam, I was almost _expelled_ from Hogwarts. I'm lucky I'm still a Prefect.'_ Over in England, they would let _any_ person who was seventeen or older use magic, whether still in school or not. However, once the Exchange Students went back to Japan, they had to put a lid on their magic until they were _completely_ out of school. _'Houritsu no baka! Yare yare.'_

When Kaoru peeked around the corner to assess the situation, she saw that there was more than one this time. _'Can these people get any dumber? They send one person after the older sibling and _two _after the little one,'_ she thought exasperatedly (if not a little insulted). One of the punks was holding Yahiko up against the wall by the collar. The other kept tossing a wand up in the air and catching it in the same hand, as he leaned against the wall. Yahiko's shinai was on the ground, broken, most likely from a spell. _'Great.'_ She took a deep breath to steady her nerves, and then charged headlong into the alley.

BAM!

Kaoru quickly knocked out the bastard who was tossing the wand up and down, catching him completely by surprise. Then, with another well-aimed strike to the head, and an extra loud "Kiya!", the second one collapsed like a sack of overripe potatoes, releasing Yahiko in the process.

"Itai!" cried Yahiko, as he landed on the cement ground. "What the _hell _took you so long, busu!"

Kaoru cringed at the sound of the hated nickname Yahiko had given her. "I was taking care of my _own_ attacker, you ungrateful little snot!" she roared. She then picked up the handle of the broken shinai. "I thought Chichi and I taught you better than _this_!" she said, shaking the broken weapon at Yahiko.

"You two should really move out of that dojo," said a voice from the entrance of the alley. "The girl can't teach and the boy can't learn. So, what's the use of staying if it has no use?"

Kaoru spun around to find the ringleader of the god-forsaken group. A bulky twenty-year-old son-of-a-bitch called Nishiwagi had blocked off the entrance to the alley, along with nine or so of his cronies.

Kaoru threw the handle of the shinai back at Yahiko for him to use (if there was any more use to be had), and clutched her bokken straight in front of her, preparing for an attack.

However, instead of the entire group rushing them all at once, Nishiwagi took a few steps forward by himself and began to speak again. "It looks like Jaken was able to get one good hit in before you took him out," he said, indicating at her injured shoulder. "He finally managed to get something right for a change. Yokatta. That will make this _much_ easier." He gave Kaoru an evil look, as he licked his lips in anticipation.

"What do you want, Nishiwagi-yaro!" she said, in an effort to stall for time. She was normally able to deal with more than one attacker at a time, but not as many as those who had shown up. Add that to the fact that her shoulder limited her abilities even further, and that made their chances to escape slimmer. The alley sure as hell wasn't small enough for Nishiwagi's goons to come at them one at a time, and as for Yahiko, he barely even had a weapon to speak of, so he wasn't going to be much help at all.

Nishiwagi stopped, a few feet in front of Kaoru. "Maa, I thought it would be apparent by now what we want," he said. "Don't tell me you've forgotten; we make an effort to remind you every other day," he added, in a voice of mock surprise and hurt. His cronies chuckled idiotically in the background.

"Then, why does it have to be _our_ dojo? Why not pick on someone else?" Kaoru was really starting to panic now. The alley they were in, she knew, took a couple turns around the two apartment buildings, but then, turned into a dead end. In other words, there was virtually _no_ place to go, and they were dead meat.

Nishiwagi just smiled at them. "Why, there are several reasons. Demo, I think we can go over them another time," he sneered, looking her over from head to toe. He could tell that she was starting to get nervous, and that was just the way he liked them. It was such a shame that she was so pretty (for an otenba), and yet, so stubborn at the same time. He'd definitely have to knock her out first and have some fun.

Kaoru gave out a short, hollow "Ha!" before saying, "Can't blame a girl for trying, ne?"

Nishiwagi also gave a little chuckle, only not as grim, and said, "Iya, soo ne." He then reached into the pocket of his light jacket, pulled out some official-looking papers, and said, in a nonchalant kind of attitude, "The deed has already been drawn up. All it needs is your signature, Kamiya-san. This is your last chance; take it or leave it."

Yahiko then stood up, gripping the shinai handle in his right hand, and grabbed a nearby pipe in his left, so hard his knuckles turned white, and spoke for the first time since Nishiwagi entered the alley. "We've already _told_ you! Kaoru isn't even going to consider signing _any_ of that shit!" He may have been young; not even old enough to legally hold a wand at that, but when it came to stuff like this, he and Kaoru were of the same opinion: 'Don't take any shit, and don't let anybody push you around.'

Kaoru stole a quick glance back at her brother, and saw his determined face. At least now she knew that he was willing to go down fighting with her. "You took the words right out of my mouth, Yahiko-chan," she said.

The statement was, of course, quickly followed by a vehement, "_CHAN JA NAI YO!_"

Nishiwagi gave a sigh in mock disappointment, as he folded up the deed and put it back in his pocket. He had expected nothing less from the Kamiyas. _'Yare yare. At least it ends tonight,'_ he thought. "You had your chance," he said wistfully. He then turned around, and as he walked back behind his henchmen, he waved his hand, and said, "Have fun," before all hell broke loose.

If someone were to be standing outside the alley, they would have thought that an explosion had gone off. Spells were being cast right and left, punches were being thrown, knives were flashing, all in an attempt to catch the brother-and-sister team off-guard. But even with Kaoru injured, and Yahiko having almost no weapon, they held their own.

That is, until Kaoru was caught unawares by a punch to the face. The inertia sent her hurling against the brick wall. The on-impact force nearly knocked her out, and caused the bokken to slip from her fingers. One of the attackers wrapped his hand around her neck, but did not cut off enough air to choke her. However, it was enough for her to stay put against the wall.

It didn't take long, after that, before Yahiko was also disarmed and captured. Two of them had to hold him from behind. Once that was taken care of, Nishiwagi slowly advanced on Kaoru, visibly trembling in anticipation. '_It's time for you to learn a woman's place.'_ He had the man holding her move aside, just enough to let him have access, but not enough to remove the hand from Kaoru's neck.

Seeing what they were about to do to his sister, Yahiko tried to get free, in order to help her. "Don't you dare touch her, you fucking bastard!" he shouted, before someone knocked the wind out of him with a punch to the stomach.

Nishiwagi, ignoring Yahiko, raised a hand toward Kaoru . . . but was distracted by the sound of someone being knocked out and falling to the ground behind him.

Kaoru heard and saw all this through a daze. The blow to the back of the head, coupled with the lack of oxygen, was quickly taking its toll. Darkness was starting to creep in from the corners of her mind. As consciousness was robbed from her, the last thing she saw before she blacked out was something fiery red, snaking its way toward her at an unbelievably fast pace.

Kaoru drifted in the blissful nothingness of the numb state between sleep and consciousness. She was always at peace at these times. She never had to think of anything, and never had to worry. There was nothing else, except the vague feeling of warmth . . . and pain?

As she slowly began to emerge from the blanket of sleep, the pain in the back of her head and right shoulder started to impress itself on her like an obstacle she had to overcome before she passed on into full consciousness. As the pain became worse, she began to hear three voices. Three . . . _male_ voices? The events of the previous night came back to her in a rush. The first attack by one of Nishiwagi's goons, his attempt to rape her, Yahiko's broken shinai, Nishiwagi's 'final offer,' Nishiwagi coming towards her with that disgustingly, lustful gleam in his eyes . . .

Then, what happened?

Had she blacked out? Her mind went back to the _three _male voices. Now that her father was gone, there were only _two _other men who lived near her in Japan that she was willing to trust at the moment: Yahiko and Genzai-sensei . . . _so who the hell was the _third_ voice?_ Had she been . . .?

Her eyes snapped open and she shot up into a sitting position.

She registered the startled faces of Yahiko, Genzai-sensei, and a strange man with red hair and a cross-shaped scar on his left cheek, before the room began to tilt crazily, as if it were placed on the edge of a spinning top. She closed her eyes, in an attempt to steady herself, but then, started to fall back onto the futon.

She felt a pair of strong hands gently catch her, and place her back down on the futon. "Daijoubu desu. You're safe. You just need to rest," said the soft voice, most likely belonging to the gentle hands.

Once she was fairly certain she could open her eyes without having the room look like it was on a merry-go-round, she slowly opened her eyes and saw a pair of soothing amethyst eyes in front of the ceiling to her room. "Dare desu ka?" she asked the red-haired stranger.

The stranger smiled sweetly, and said, "I am just a rurouni who was passing through town before we happened to bump into each other." His voice was soft and subdued, as if to try and sooth any doubts she still might have of him.

His appearance seemed somewhat familiar. He had a battered sort of look to him. His clothes consisted of an old, dusty jeans jacket, with wisps of gray cat hair, and a faded crimson T-shirt . . . It was then that she remembered where she had seen him. "You're that guy I ran into."

His smile became just a bit bigger.

"Daijoubu, Kaoru. He's a good guy, and he's really cool too," said Yahiko, who crawled over to her from his previous position by the door. The rurouni blushed at Yahiko's praising. He was now sitting beside the rurouni. "After you fainted, this guy came out of nowhere and got us out. You won't believe _how_ he did it." Yahiko then proceeded to tell his sister what had happened in more detail, as Genzai-sensei made his way over to check Kaoru's bandages.

Flashback

As Yahiko watched in horror, as Nishiwagi made his way towards Kaoru, he could do nothing but make another attempt to get loose from his captors. He couldn't stand it if they did this to her. She may have had a tendency to knock him over the head . . . a lot . . . but she was his _sister_, a proud and independent woman. This would _destroy_ her. He _had_ to help her. HHHThen, out of nowhere, something bright red made its way from the entrance of the alley, took care of the ones standing guard, leaping over the goons that were knocked out, weaving in between the ones that were still standing, and before anyone could see, the figure had reached out and replaced Kaoru's limp body with a . . . gomu no kamu? Quack!

Yep.

They were all confused. One moment, the thug was holding Kaoru by the neck, and the next, he was holding the neck of a bathtub toy. Nishiwagi's face took on a look of utmost surprise, then turned into a look of absolute rage. He looked over to where Yahiko was being held, and saw that he, too, had been snatched away to be replaced by a child's toy. This time, it was a stuffed kirin.

Nishiwagi was beside himself with fury. Who the hell was even able to _do_ such a thing? They'd have to be faster than the gods. "Where the fuck did they go?" Nishiwagi screamed. "Spread out and find them! They can't have gotten far! IKE!"

The men jumped out of their stupor and started bumping into each other, while trying to make their way out of the alley as fast as they could.

Once everyone was out, Nishiwagi was left rooted to the ground. He hadn't moved an inch from where he was in when Kaoru disappeared. He almost had them. He literally _had_ them in the palm of his hand. If he ever found the bastard who had robbed him of his victory, that bastard would not _survive_ the following hour. And, what he was going to do to that guy was nothing _close_ to what he was going to do to that Kamiya bitch when he found her. _'She wants to be treated like an adult? Well then, fine, I'll treat her like any other sorry bitch that crosses' my path!'_

"Fine then, Kamiya. You want to play it that way? Fine!" He started yelling at the walls of the alley, as if she was hiding under an invisibility cloak, laughing at him. "I was going to go easy on you, but _now_ you've done it! Omae o korosu! We have Hitokiri Battousai on our side, and he is going to tear down you _and_ that sorry excuse for a house! YOU HEAR ME, YOU BITCH! OMAE O KOROSU!" The last two phrases were shouted at the sky. After Nishiwagi had calmed down a bit, he stormed out of the alley, still fuming.

A slightly-stunned Yahiko heard and saw the entire thing from the roof of one of the apartment buildings, beside his unconscious sister, underneath a cloak of invisibility that belonged to a red-haired rurouni, who had looked only _slightly_ surprised after "Hitokiri Battousai"was mentioned.

End flashback

"He actually conjured up those two toys, and then, used a switching spell to get us out of there, and . . . I don't know how he did it, Kaoru, but he somehow got _both_ of us on that roof. And, don't tell me it was Apparition, because there was no 'pop'." With that, Yahiko leaned back on his hands and looked at his sister's slightly-shocked expression with a smug look on his face.

Kaoru took her eyes away from her brother, and saw the astonished look of their guest as he muttered a soft "Oro . . ."

"You have _got_ to stop letting him read your old schoolbooks, Kaoru, or his teachers won't have anything left to teach him," said an amused Genzai-sensei, as he took out his wand to heal Kaoru's wounds, now that she was awake. "Besides, we don't even know if he's going to Hogwarts or not."

He had been somewhat relieved that he wouldn't have to erase her memory. While Kaoru was asleep he had learned what the Kamiyas had gone through from Yahiko and Genzai-sensei. Their mother had died ten years ago, giving birth to Yahiko, and their father had never really recovered. Even though she died giving birth, Kamiya Koshijiro had never _once _blamed Yahiko for his wife's death. He had never neglected him, or treated him cruelly. He had raised him as well as he had raised Kaoru, the only difference being instead of just being a _father_ to him, he had to be a _mother_ as well. It was a good thing that Kaoru was there (even though she was only seven at the time) to help him when it got rough.

The brother and sister were your basic Muggle-born magic users. There was no doubt that both Kaoru and Yahiko were wizards, considering that there were plenty of times when someone would insult their family and the offender would find that either their shorts had decided to run up a flag pole without them, or their noses would blow up like a balloon to carry them away on a light breeze. These instances were common for both of them. It wasn't until Kaoru got her letter from Hogwarts that everything made sense. And, for the last six years, she had attended the best wizarding school in the world . . . that is, until their father was hit by a drunk driver on his way home from teaching at a friend's dojo and was killed instantly. In a way, he had been relieved of his grief and pain. But, it left his children devastated.

Genzai-sensei, who ran a street clinic that tended to both Muggles _and_ wizards, was an old friend of the Kamiyas, and was the one to write Dumbledore and McGonagall-sensei, to tell them of Koshijiro's death. And, that led back to Nishiwagi and his "offer" to buy the dojo, and this night was a vital part to this new puzzle he had stumbled into.

Kaoruat the moment was gingerly sitting up, still in her futon, and the clothes she wore the previous night. Genzai-sensei had just magically mended the lacerations on the back of her head. He hadn't been willing to tend her wounds while she was unconscious, but while she was awake, he could freely treat her without fear of causing her unwanted or unseen complications. Head wounds were the most difficult to treat, with _or_ without magic.

Kaoru tested her arm by stretching it above her head. Then, she rolled her head in a circular motion on her shoulders. She felt _no_ pain whatsoever. "As always, Genzai-sensei, you did a flawless job," she complimented him.

"I don't think Pomfrey-sensei could have done a better job," said the rurouni.

Kaoru looked over at him. "I guess you went to Hogwarts as well," she said, as she got out of her futon and made her way out of her room. The rurouni just gave her a pleasant smile, which she interpreted to mean 'hai'.

Yahiko had gone to his room, to get at least a few hours sleep, before Kaoru gave him the lesson for the day (which, without a doubt, would include some whacks on the head from Kaoru's bokken). Kaoru was partially glad that he had decided to take a small break away from the rest of them. She wanted to delay the inevitable talk that would come out of this.

On their way to the training hall, Kaoru suddenly stopped and turned to Genzai-sensei and the rurouni. Addressing the rurouni first, she bowed to him in a polite fashion, and, still keeping her head down, spoke her gratitude for his help. "Rurouni-san, I'd like to thank you for saving my brother and I last night. I can't imagine what would have happened if you hadn't shown up." She raised her head and looked him square in the face. Her eyes were set. "If you will permit me to ask you another favor, I would be eternally grateful."

The rurouni seemed to sense the urgency in her words. There was something very important she had to say. He simply nodded, as he stared into her determined face.

"I ask for you to go with Genzai-sensei tonight, and protect him, his granddaughters, and his apprentice, Megumi-san, from Nishiwagi and his men."

Both the rurouni and Genzai-sensei looked at her in alarm. They immediately knew what she was going to do. Nishiwagi had said that he would tear her _and_ the dojo to the ground, so she was going to face off against him herself. Kaoru could sense the arguments from them on why she shouldn't go up against him alone, or to at _least_ have the rurouni stay and help her. He had more than _proven_ that he could be a great asset in a fight. She decided to cut them off at the pass. "I know that Nishiwagi will be coming for me. From what Yahiko said, he seemed really pissed. Actually, that's an understatement. Anyway, if he is really going to be serious with me, then he might go after you, Genzai-sensei." She turned to the aged doctor. "You, Ayame-chan, Suzume-chan, and even _Megumi_-san have been like family to me and Yahiko, even _before_ our father passed away. And, I don't want anything to happen to you because of me. This is _my_ fight, and I'd rather not get anyone else involved."

The rurouni decided to interject here. "That may be true, Kaoru-san, but think of what might happen. Last night, you andYahiko _together _were no match for them. A swordsman (or swordswoman) should know what kind of opponent he is able to go up against. I am sure that your father would not want his children to throw their lives away for the sake of a building." His voice had gone deep, with a seriousness. "If you face him alone, there is no guarantee that you'll come out alive."

"He's right, Kaoru-chan," said Genzai-sensei, speaking for the first time since they left Kaoru's room. "You were barely able to make it out of that alley alive. All of us would hate to see you die because you weren't willing to take help."

"Wakatta." She had thought this over already, and she was not going to back down for anyone or anything. "The thing that Nishiwagi is after is this dojo. I don't know why he wants it, but it seems he's willing to _kill_ for it. This dojo is _all_ Yahiko and I have left of our father. He taught us both how to wield the sword of Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu: Katsujinken. I am also the shihondai of this school. With my father gone, this dojo is my responsibility. If I lose this dojo, then there will be nothing left, and his name and style will be tarnished by these creeps. It's our home," she said in finality.

Both men knew, at this point, that it would be useless to try and talk her out of it. Genzai-sensei knew she was as immovable as a mountain, and more talking would be a waste of time. The rurouni sighed in defeat, but he had to know one more thing. "Should we take Yahiko-kun with us when we leave then?" he asked.

Kaoru looked back down at the ground. "It will be _his_ choice if he wants to fight or not. I'll ask when he wakes."

Yahiko watched, through the small crack in the shoji to his room, as Genzai-sensei and the rurouni made their way out onto the street through the gate. Kaoru hadn't been aware that he had heard the entire conversation when he'd gotten up to go to the bathroom. When he heard that she had decided to go at it alone, he wanted to jump out of his hiding place and give Kaoru a piece of his mind. But, when she told the rurouni and Genzai-sensei that it would be _his_ choice, he gave a soft sigh of relief and went back to his room . . . to think. He hadn't been able to get back to sleep after his little stroll.

Now, as he watched Kaoru close and lock the gate, he realized that if he chose to go ahead and assist his sister, there would be no turning back. He remembered the events of the previous night. How the first two who attacked him had so easily disarmed his person. How Kaoru had criticized him about it. How, after Nishiwagi had sent his guys after them, he was captured so easily after his sister . . . how after they were captured, he couldn't do anything to stop Nishiwagi from getting to Kaoru. If the rurouni hadn't shown up, he didn't know what would've happened. In fact, he didn't _want_ to know. Would he just get in the way if he stayed?

"You're awake. I didn't expect that." The voice came from the other side of the open shoji to his room he was sitting beside. He looked up and realized that he had been so lost in thought, he hadn't even noticed Kaoru had walked up and opened the door. "When did you get up?" Kaoru asked, stepping in.

At first, Yahiko thought it would have been best to lie and say that he had just gotten up, but then, another, more _rational_ part of his brain said that he needed to tell her the truth. She more than had a right to know what he had heard. "I got up a while ago," he said, then after a pause, he added, "when you were talking to Genzai-sensei and the rurouni."

Kaoru looked surprised, but only for a second. "So you heard?"

Yahiko nodded.

Her next words were straight and to the point; she was never one to dawdle. "Anata no wa nani ka?" He didn't need her to elaborate.

He had already thought long and hard over this, and through all that thinking, there was only _one _thing he needed to do. "There's just one thing I need to know before I decide," he said, with his arms crossed and eyes closed. Kaoru held her breath as she awaited his answer. After a few minutes of silence, Yahiko opened his eyes, looked at Kaoru seriously, and said, "You're not going to look any uglier after the fight, ne?"

Right after the words left his mouth, he was greeted with a swift bokken coming down in a high arc to crash into his head with a loud crunch. Kaoru towered over him, holding her bokken tightly, with the scariest face anyone had ever seen. "I should've known." With that, she started to tramp out the door.

Before she could go, however, Yahiko recovered and grabbed the edge of her jeans. "I was just kidding. You've been acting _way _too serious since you came back from Hogwarts, and I wanted to see if you were capable of turning back into the busu sister I know and love," he said from the floor. Kaoru didn't know whether to feel insulted or honored. She never would've thought that her brother considered the word "busu" compliment. If that was the case, then she would definitely have to correct him before he called one of his_ sensei_ that. "And, to answer your question," he stated, as he got back up into a sitting position and let go of her leg, "if you don't think I'll get in the way, then I'll stay and help you."

Kaoru looked at her brother in astonishment, her mind practically _refusing_ to believe what her brother had just said (still stuck at the "busu"). Then, when her mind started to work again, her face slowly took on the form of a smile. "Yoshi."

Genzai-sensei walked down the street toward his clinic, though depressed and edgy as hell. His mind kept going back to Kaoru and what she had committed herself to. And, he still thought that it was an early grave. '_She shouldn't have to go through something like this; she isn't even out of school yet.' _If something happened to her, then he didn't know _what_ he would do. Come to think of it, he didn't know what the others would do either if she died. Ayame-chan and Suzume-chan thought of Kaoru as a big sister, calling her "Kaoru-neechan." And, even though they argued a lot, Megumi also thought of Kaoru as a sister. Their relationship was definitely that of an older sister teasing her younger sister. As they stopped at a crosswalk to wait for the signal to change, his thoughts became even more depressed: how the hell would he explain this to the girls when he got back?

It was then that he was startled out of his musings by something suddenly rubbing up against his leg. He jumped nearly a foot off the ground, giving a startled yelp. When he got his aging heart back to a healthy rhythm, he looked down and saw that it was nothing more than the cat that belonged to the rurouni. He gave a sigh of relief and looked up, as the owner bent down to pick up his gray cat.

"Sumanu, Genzai-sensei. Nekone didn't really mean to startle you," said the rurouni, as he straightened up, the cat in his arm purring, and gave the doctor a kind smile. Genzai-sensei was about to wave his hand and say that he didn't need to apologize, when the rurouni went on. "She knows you're worried, and I understand that you're worried about Kaoru-san. It's only natural."

Genzai-sensei didn't ask him _how_ he knew this. He was a strange one, this rurouni. Instead, they crossed the street and Genzai-sensei pointed out the clinic to his guest.

"Tadaima!" said Genzai-sensei, as he took off his coat and shoes and walked into the messy living portion of the clinic.

No sooner had he put on his slippers than two high-pitched voices, accompanied by their small owners, came running down the hall to crash into the old man's legs, nearly causing him to fall.

"OJII-CHAN! OKAERI!" they both said in unison.

At the sight of the smiling faces of his granddaughters, his uneasiness eased up just enough to give him a moment's ease.

The next moment, however, Megumi, a tall, beautiful woman with flowing black hair, came out of her room, into the hall, and said, "Genzai-sensei, how is Kaoru-chan doing?" She remembered what a shock it had been to all of them when Yahiko burst through the fireplace, via floo powder, and told them that Kaoru and he had been attacked, and needed medical help. Remembering this, Genzai-sensei's good feeling vanished.

He let the small smile, which had come to his face when five-year-old Ayame-chan and three-year-old Suzume-chan came running towards him, drop. "She's just fine in terms of _physical _health, but . . . I'm afraid that the danger hasn't fully passed." This caught everyone's attention.

"Nan desu te!" cried Megumi, distressed.

Little Ayame-chan looked up at her grandfather's worried face with her sister. "Ojii-chan, doushita no?" she said, with innocent fear in her eyes. "Kaoru-neechan wa daijoubu ka?"

"Daijobu desu," said a soft voice, coming from near the door. It was then that Megumi and the two girls turned their heads to the vicinity of the voice's origin, to see the unfamiliar face of the rurouni. Genzai-sensei stared at the rurouni, who was sitting on the floor against the wall, shocked. How could this man, who had, not two hours ago, stood by his side and pleaded for Kaoru to take his help in the defense of the dojo say something like that? What was he thinking?

"Genzai-sensei, I have a plan that could help Kaoru-san if things get too rough. But, I'm _only_ willing to go through with it if _you_ are." Now, Genzai-sensei understood.

But, before he could say anything to the young man, Ayame-chan and Suzume-chan marched over to the rurouni with determined looks on their little faces. Ayame-chan, in her kawaii little green jumper, was the first to reach him. She looked straight into his face, pointed a finger at him, and said, in an almost-laughable authoritative tone, "Onamae! Ima!"

Then, it was Suzume-chan's turn, in her red overalls and orange T-shirt. Only, she pointed at Nekone, who was back at her perch on the rurouni's shoulders. "Anata mo!"

From Nekone, she received nothing more than a sniff and a lick on the finger. Tasted like maguro.

Kaoru sat in the empty training hall of the dojo, in front of the memorial for Koshijiro, dressed in traditional hakama and gi, meditating. She and Yahiko had been practicing the entire day. Yahiko still needed some improvement, but at this moment, there wasn't time. She was sure that if Nishiwagi was going to attack, he would most definitely attack that night. If they were going to go down, at least they were going to go down fighting. _'Only, we _won't_ lose,'_ she told herself. _'And, even if we _do_, there's no _way_ they would be able to legally get the dojo. And, if I know that bastard, he'll want the transaction to be a _legal_ one.'_ That was one thing she knew about that bastard.

The door to the training hall slid open, with the scraping of the shoji and the bit of light that accompanied it. When the door closed, the light was no more. Kaoru heard the sound of bare feet, slowly making their way toward her. They stopped when they were right beside her, and the person sat down in a meditative position. Kaoru opened her left eye to look at her little brother, dressed similarly, with his eyes closed, also meditating. "You ready for this?" she asked, closing her eye again.

"As I'll ever be," was Yahiko's only response. Kaoru was appreciative of her brother, although she would have preferred him not do this for her. She wanted him to at least grow up and live a little. He was only _ten_ for God's sake and her _brother_. But, all the same, she would need all the help she could get.

They stayed in that position for about another ten minutes which ticked away so slowly it was excruciating. When was Nishiwagi going to attack? It was now 6:55 at night. Then, they heard the unmistakable sound of the front gate opening. It was time. Genzai-sensei and the rurouni had gone back to the clinic that morning, and they weren't expecting anyone, so it had to be none other than Nishiwagi. Even though they had locked the gate, a trained wizard with an "Alohamora" charm could easily open it up again.

Kaoru and Yahiko got up from the floor and raised their respective wepons. Kaoru had her trusty bokken, while Yahiko had one of the shinai. They readied themselves, in anticipation, for the impending fight. They heard the sound of many moving feet approaching the dojo. There were many small pairs of feet . . . and one very _big_ pair of feet, which could be set apart from the others by their heavy sound and the vibration in the floorboards when they reached the porch.

Then, for a moment, there was silence. Soon, the door opened, and there stood Nishiwagi, with an almost-angry grin on his face and a katana in his belt, as he looked at Kaoru. _'You asked for this, you bitch.'_

"Would you mind leaving, Nishiwagi? You're trespassing on private property," said Kaoru, although she knew that he would ignore her.

Ignoring her request, he stepped aside to allow someone into the room. "Kamiya-san, may I introduce to you, Hitokiri Battousai-san." In walked a hulking man, more than six feet tall, with a long beard and a wide grin on his face. Kaoru couldn't believe it. Did they think her _that_ stupid? She had gone to _Hogwarts,_ for God's sake! They had books on famous wizards, and even if the only picture they had was fuzzy, she could tell that the real one was nowhere _near_ the height of the so-called "Battousai" standing right in front of her. And, to add insult to injury, the imposter was still wearing his shoes as he walked in.

Kaoru put, what she hoped, was a superior smirk on her face as she stepped forward. "Omedeto _gozaimasu_, Nishiwagi. You have done a _superb_ job of creating the perfect model of the stereotypical image of Battousai here. The only problem being that the stereotype is nothing more than that: a stereotype," she said.

Nishiwagi's smirk became even wider. "You don't think I already _know_ that? Of course I do. But, most others _don't_, ne?" He then gestured to the hulking man who had started to make his way towards the brother and sister. "His real name is Hiruma Gohei, and to tell the truth, in his spare time, he likes to do nothing more than eliminate some of our targets. As you can see, his size makes him a little hard to hide, and we needed a place to put him."

It was then that the Kamiyas discovered _why_ Nishiwagi wanted their home so badly. It was more than big enough to hide a six-foot monster and a few others. Nishiwagi wanted their place as a hideout, or even worse, an arms storage unit, where the weapon was this six-foot tall goliath.

"Nishiwagi-sama says that your sword style is one that protects the weak," said Gohei, speaking for the first time. He took the sword and wooden sheath, which was resting on his right shoulder, down and held it horizontal, pointing the end at Kaoru. "If you really believe in your style . . ." He raised the still-sheathed weapon above his head, ready to strike Kaoru. "Then, PROTECT YOURSELF FROM _ME_!" The sheathed sword came down in an arc, aiming for Kaoru's left shoulder.

Kaoru raised her bokken over her head, bracing herself for the impact of wood against a much-heavier weapon.

Gohei's sword impacted with the bokken, and tore through it as if it were a dry twig, then smashed into Kaoru's left shoulder, shattering the bones of both collarbone and shoulder. Kaoru let out a short yell, in pain, as she started to fall to the side. "KAORU!" Yahiko yelled in horror. He started to run towards his sister, but was caught off-guard by Gohei's other fist making contact with his cheek and sending him hurtling against the dojo wall, hitting his head, and just like his sister the other night, he nearly lost consciousness.

Gohei grabbed Kaoru's gi and pulled her up by the edge, reveling the wrappings that bound her breasts when she practiced, her feet dangling above the floor. She tried to grab Gohei's thumb to try and twist the brute's hand off of her person. _'Or, another finger, ANYTHING; I need a hand hold!'_ Her shoulder wasn't helping because it hurt like hell, so she only had one hand to work with.

"Looks like your daddy's teachings are a piece of crap, unable to defend his own daughter," said Gohei with a wide smirk. He then turned to Nishiwagi, and asked, "What do you want me to do with her, Nishiwagi-sama?"

Nishiwagi walked across the floor towards the struggling Kaoru, his shoes making a tapping sound in time with his step. As soon as he reached Kaoru, his smile became less angry. Now, she would _pay_ for making a fool out of him. He drew his arm back and buried his fist in Kaoru's stomach, ceasing her struggles and forcing the air out of her lungs. At Nishiwagi's motion, Gohei let go of Kaoru's gi and she dropped to the ground, curled up in a protective ball, and tried to regain her breathing. Nishiwagi looked down at her, the smirk never leaving his face. He bent down and addressed Kaoru in an almost-professional manner. "I really would prefer to do this the _legal_ way; it's less messy and more _subtle_ than the easy way. But, since you were so damn stubborn, I had to resort to other means." He then turned to Gohei. "You can have fun with her if you want, but don't hog her to yourself. Let the others have a crack at her too." He started to walk towards Yahiko, who was starting to come around. Another thought came to him, and said he over his shoulder, "Oh! And, make sure she's still alive and conscious when it's my turn. I'm going to do a little target practice over here in the meantime." Gohei's smirk widened, as he, once again, picked up Kaoru by the collar of her gi. Nishiwagi took out his wand and pointed it at Yahiko. Yahiko looked up at the wand that was now pointed straight at him, between the eyes.

"Expelliarmus."

It was said casually, but the red sparks that flew out of nowhere to hit Nishiwagi in the hand (and send his wand flying to the other side of the dojo) were no less effective in catching the attention of everyone in the room.

They looked over to where the spell had originated, to find that standing in the doorway, pointing his wand at a startled Nishiwagi, was none other than the red-haired, cross-shaped-scarred rurouni. Nekone was calmly making her way towards the far wall to . . . lie down and take a nap.

"Omae wa . . . ?" asked an irritated Nishiwagi to the newcomer.

"Rurouni!" said Yahiko, relieved to see a friendly face that wasn't currently engaged in their own fight.

"If you would be so kind as to release Kaoru-san and Yahiko-kun, it would be greatly appreciative," said the rurouni, in a polite, yet hard, tone as he lowered his wand.

Suddenly, a thought struck Nishiwagi. It was as if a lightning bolt had crashed down on his head, to give him the information that connected dots he didn't even know were connectable in the first place. "_You_ were the one who interfered the other night!" Rage crept over his face, like a cloud passing over the sun. He turned to Gohei. "Gohei! Kill him! IMA!"

Gohei dropped Kaoru for the second time that day. "You don't look like much. I don't even think I need to use a wand against you," said Gohei, picking up his katana again and walking over to the rurouni with a smirk.

The rurouni, on the other hand, had already extracted his (what seemed to be a katana) from the carrier, and now, held it by the sheath, right next to the hilt. He pushed his weapon partially out of the sheath, using his thumb. "I'd rather not have to fight anyone. There are other means to solving disagreements," he said, his eyes narrowing in a threatening manner.

Gohei ignored the warning, and proceeded to pull his katana out of its sheath. "That's really too bad, because this is the way _I_ prefer to solve 'disagreements'," he said. He raised the newly revealed blade over his head, preparing to strike downward. "SHINE!"

But, when he was poised to strike the redhead down, he saw that there was nothing there but an empty sheath clattering onto the floor.

"KOCHIRA!" said a voice from above.

Gohei looked up to find the rurouni above him, poised to strike, his eyes that of a demon's.

It all happened so fast that the witnesses almost missed it. The rurouni came crashing down on Gohei, with his sword and a force that could rival that of a ten-ton truck. Gohei crashed into floor; his head buried under a pile of broken wood. His ass was sticking up in the air in an embarrassing position, and he didn't appear to be moving.

Kaoru stared at the rurouni, as he straightened, unable to believe that this rurouni had done such a thing in this dojo, when she, herself, had told him what her father's teaching was all about. They were supposed to protect people without killing. "Y-you . . . killed him . . .?" she said softly.

As soon as she said that, the rurouni's eyes instantly became the size of dinner plates with an "ORO! DON'T GO _THAT_ FAR; I haven't killed anyone in _ten years_! Mitte! Mitte!" He held up his sword (so that everyone could see it), and, they were shocked at what they saw.

"Th-th-th-th-th-the blade!" cried Yahiko. "It's B-B-B-B-B-BACKWARDS!" As sure as Yahiko had stammered, the design of the sword was the same as any other, but for one difference: the bladed and blunt sides had been switched, so that if it were held the proper way, one would be attacking with the _blunt_ side, not the blade.

"Sakabatou desu," said the rurouni. "Swings like a regular katana, but doesn't kill. And, by the way, Nishiwagi," he turned to the intruder, "the next time you want to have someone impersonating Hitokiri Battousai, here are some pointers you might want to remember," he said, as he placed the sakabatou on his shoulder. "The style of Battousai is an ancient style that's lineage goes all the way back to the Sengoku Jidai: Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu, a powerful style that is able to dispatch multiple opponents in one swing." As he said the last part, he motioned, with his head, toward the open door, where the other members of Nishiwagi's gang lay sprawled on the ground. K.O.'ed.

If anyone in that room needed any other proof, they would be a verifiable baka. Kaoru was the one to voice the thoughts of all of them. "Masaka . . ." she whispered. "Anata wa . . . Hitokiri Battousai . . ."

Taking a step towards Nishiwagi, he said, "I bear no attachment to that name anymore. Still, I can't let it be used this way. Now then," his eyes narrowed into slits as he stared at Nishiwagi, "Nishiwagi, swear that you will _never_ again approach this family." His voice was even, and held every hint of a threat.

Nishiwagi looked at him furiously. "Don't tell me that _Hitokiri Battousai_ is going to start spewing shit about Katsujin-ken!" he shouted.

"Iya," he said simply. His eyes were hidden behind his bangs. "Ken wa kyouki. Kenjutsu wa satsujinjutsu. What Kaoru-san says of Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu is nothing more than sweet and innocent talk that only those who have never spilt the blood of men can believe." He stopped, and turned towards Kaoru, whose face had fallen, his eyes no longer hidden and a small smile on his face. "But, to be honest, I prefer _her_ way in the face of such horrible truths. I truly hope that it will become the truth one day."

Kaoru's face lit up with a small sliver of hope that mirrored the small smile that spread across her face.

Nishiwagi was starting to get annoyed. "Stop stalling!" he said, pulling out his katana. "Kamiya Kasshi--" He was cut short, when the rurouni and turned Nishiwagi's katana into a five hundred-piece jigsaw-puzzle with his sakabatou.

"Do not speak its name," he said threateningly. "You tarnish it by speaking. Once again! Swear that you will _never_ approach this family!"

Nishiwagi looked at the sword in the rurouni's hand; he could just see his name written all over it. He had to find a way to beat Battousai or he would wind up a bloody pulp, if he was lucky. He looked around and saw his wand lying across the room. _'That's it.'_ He ran over to where his wand had fallen, picked it up, and pointed it at Battousai. "You may be _the_ Battousai, but let's see you fight off _this!"_ With that, he sent a spell hurtling towards the rurouni with a loud bang.

He didn't even flinch. All he did to avoid the spell was tilt his head.

Nishiwagi couldn't believe it. He started to send spell after spell at Battousai, hoping to hit, but he dodged them as he ran towards Nishiwagi, sword raised. He didn't even have time to gasp, as the hilt of the sakabatou made contact with his cheek. He fell backwards, on his ass, and could only stare in horror as the rurouni sailed through the air, the blade of the sakabatou aimed straight at him. The sword came down to land vertically in the wooden floor, only a millimeter from Nishiwagi's family jewels, scaring him shitless.

"Three times says the Buddha," said the rurouni, his hard amethyst eyes starting to obtain small flakes of cold amber. "Last chance. _Swear_ that you will _never_ approach this family _again!"_ His voice had completely changed from the one that Kaoru had first heard when she woke up from the attack. It was no longer soothing and warm, but hard and cold.

Nishiwagi was terrified, and through his collapsed cheek, he managed a weak "a-aa . . ." before fainting to the floor.

The rurouni bent down, reached into Nishiwagi's breast jacket pocket, pulled out the deed that had been drawn up, and ripped it into shreds.

"Gomen nasai, Kaoru-san, Yahiko-kun, for hiding the truth from you both," he said, looking at the brother and sister, his eyes back to the relaxed, calm violet and the friendly smile back on his face. Kaoru had her hand on her broken right shoulder and Yahiko was still leaning against the wall. "I just didn't want you to know, if you didn't need to." He looked at their astonished faces, and decided that it was about time to leave. "Maa, genki da yo." He turned toward the door and started to walk away.

When Kaoru's brain started working again, she felt compelled to pay him back. He had saved their lives twice; the _least_ she could do was try to repay the favor. Kaoru racked her brain. She had to find some way to make him stay, so she could repay him. She frantically looked around her. The dojo was a complete mess; she would need help in rebuilding. That still wasn't enough; Genzai-sensei could help there. '_Wait a minute, that's it!'_ "MATTE, BAKA!" she yelled.

"ORO!" said the shocked rurouni, stopping in his tracks. This outburst also caused Yahiko to come out of his shocked state to stare at his sister.

"I _told_ you to go look after Genzai-sensei! What happened to them!" She screamed.

"There's no need to worry, Kaoru-san," he said, turning to face her, while putting his hand on the shoji. "I know for a fact that they are safe."

' _. . . I guess I shouldn't be surprised,'_ she thought. "Demo . . . you could at least stay for a while," she said, after she regained her composure and changed tactics. "This is the second time you have saved our lives; we need to at least repay you."

The rurouni looked touched, if not a little surprised at her change of attitude, but held his ground. "I would appreciate that greatly, but it would only be harder for you to rebuild the dojo's reputation if you had the _real _Battousai staying here."

Kaoru took an unconscious step forward, and said, "I didn't say I want the _Battousai_ to stay, I'm saying I want _you_, the_ rurouni, _t--" Kaoru stopped herself before she could finish the sentence.

Both the rurouni and Yahiko looked at her in curiosity.

Kaoru turned around in embarrassment. She already had a large amount of blush that was creeping up on her face. "Fine, if you really want to go, then you're free to leave! I won't stop you . . . demo . . ." She went on. "You could at least tell me your _real_ name, so I know who to thank."

Yahiko looked closely at his sister's face; she was pretty sad. She really wanted to repay this guy, even though they knew next to _nothing_ about him, other than that he used to be Hitokiri Battousai, and that he had just saved their lives for the _second_ time. To tell the truth, he wanted to get to know this guy as well.

They both heard the shoji close, and assumed the rurouni had decided he would just be on his way without a word.

"Himura, Himura Kenshin."

Yahiko whipped his head around to see that Kenshin had, indeed, shut the door, but he was on the inside. Kaoru then turned around and saw the same. "I guess I could stay for a while. I could help out, and I am a little tired of wandering." A smile made its way onto her face.

Just then, Yahiko remembered something. "Oi . . . what _did_ you do with Genzai-sensei and the others?"

Kaoru was brought back to reality, and looked at her brother. "That's right, what _did_ you do?" she asked.

Kenshin smiled, turned around, and said, "Doko?" And, before anyone knew what happened, two little girls materialized out of thin air between Kenshin and Kaoru, ran towards Kenshin, and crashed into his knees.

"KEN-NIISAN!" they both yelled in unison.

Since they crashed into the back of his legs, his knees easily buckled and he toppled to the ground with a surprised "ORO!" And, he somehow managed to avoid falling on the two little girls.

Megumi and Genzai-sensei also materialized, as they took off the invisibility cloak they were hiding under. "Ask and ye shall receive," said Megumi with a sly giggle, kitsune ears popping out of her head. "He had us all hide under the cloak and watch the battle in secret. That way, if we got in trouble, all we had to do was yell. He also told the girls that if they weren't in trouble, they weren't to make a sound until he gave the word. He made it a game for them." This caused everyone in the room, who wasn't on the floor or unconscious, to start laughing.

Nekone overlooked the scene before her with an almost haughty look about her that said humans were the silliest creatures on the planet.

While all this was going on in Japan, halfway around the world, in England, a ten-year-old boy accidentally let a boa constrictor loose on his cousin and his cousin's friend, by making the glass between them and the snake disappear.

Glossary:

**Aa-**a very informal, and short way of saying 'yes.'

**Anata no wa nani ka-'**what's yours?' I'm not so sure on the translation. My friend Li gave me that one.

**Anata mo-'**You too'. 'Anata' is the 'you' and the 'mo' means too. There are times that 'mou' is a negative.

**Anata wa . . . Hitokiri Battousai-'**You're . . . Hitokiri Battousai'. I know that the 'desu' should be there, but some people just take it off to save time.

**Baka-'**Stupid,' 'idiot,' all those thing that are just minor insults.

**Bokken-**A solid wooden sword. Kaoru's favorite weapon.

**Busu-'**Ugly,' 'hag'. Yahiko better have his eyes checked if he thinks his sister is a hag.

**Chan-**A term of endearment. It can also mean 'little' and to Yahiko, he takes it as an insult.

**CHAN JA NAI YO! -'**NOT LITTLE!' I think this is Yahiko's favorite line.

**Chichi-**A Very, _very_ informal way of saying 'dad.' This type of term is never used when talking to his face.

**Daijoubu/Daijoubu desu-'**It's all right.' The 'Desu' is optional.

**Dare desu ka-'**Who are you?' The 'ka' is literally the question mark, and once again the 'desu' is optional.

**Demo-'**But.' Not many people know this, but it is _only_ used at the _beginning_ of a sentence, and _never_ in the _middle_ of one.

**Desu-**_lit._ ' It is.' You put this at the end of a sentence.

**Doko-'**Where?' In this chapter, it's the magic word for 'all clear.'

**Doushita no-'**What's wrong?' You can say this one with or without the 'no.'

**Gi-**It can be used as either a man's kimono or a martial arts outfit.

**Gomen/Gomen nasai-'S**orry.' There are more formula ways of saying it but this is the real quick way.

**Gomu no kamu-'**Rubber duck.' Te he he.

**Houritsu no baka-'**Stupid law.' I'm not really sure this is how you would say it, but there you go.

**Hai-** 'Yes' If you don't know what this means . . . where the hell have you been?

**Ike-'**GO!' . . . However, I've also heard, people saying 'itte,' the proper command form . . . I'm confused.

**Ima-'**Now.' That's all.

**Itai**-'Ouch' . . . that just about covers it.

**Iya-'**No.' A more formal way of saying it would be 'iie.'

**Katana-**A Japanese sword. You don't see too many around anymore.

**Katsujin-ken-'**sword that gives life,' or 'the sword that protects.' The motto of Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu.

**Kawaii-'**Cute.' Not to be confused with 'k_o_waii' which means 'scary.'

**Ken wa kyouki-'**A sword is a weapon.' No one can argue with that. 'Ken' is 'sword' and 'kyouki' is 'weapon.'

**Kenjutsu wa satsujinjutsu-'**Swordsmanship is learning how to kill.' I hate to admit it, but it's true.

**Kitsune-'**Fox.' The ears don't literally pop out of her head; it's just how the imagination of the creator takes it.

**Kirin-'**Giraffe' . . . that's it.

**Kochira-'**Over here.' It's the more polite way of saying, 'kore (koh-ray)' or 'koko.'

**Kun-**a term for someone who either looks up to you or a polite way of referring to someone who is younger then you, like a teacher talking to his student.

**Maa-'**Well.' If you add another 'maa' to the end, then it would be turned into 'now now.'

**Maa genki da yo-' **Well, take care.' It's just a way of saying goodbye to some one. 'Genki' means health, so it kinda' means, 'stay healthy.'

**Maguro-'**Tuna.' It can be sashimi or nagiri, or even maki. I prefer nigiri

**Masaka-**'It can't be,' 'Oh my God,' stuff like that.

**Matte-'**Wait!' This is the command form. There are lots of other forms as well.

**Mitte-'**Look!' This is the command form. The regular form is 'miru,' the formal form is 'mimasu,' and so on.

**Nan desu te-'**What do you mean?' I'll have to admit; it's not that polite. A more vulgar way of say this would be 'kisama nani ga ittai?'

**Ne-'**Right.' It has the same meaning as 'Kapeish' in Italian.

**Neechan-'**Big sister.' If you add an 'O' to the beginning, you would be talking about someone else's, unless you were taking to your sisters face.

**Niisan-'**Big brother.' _Again_ if you put an 'O' at the beginning, you're talking about someone else's unless you are talking to your brother's face.

**Nishiwagi-yaro-'**Bastard Nishiwagi.' 'Yaro' isn't usually used as an honorific, but in this one, I think it was appropriate.

**Oi-'**Hay!' The same type as the English use . . . imagine that.

**Ojii-chan-'**Grandpa.' There goes the 'O' thing again.

**Okairi-'**Welcome home.' You usually add a 'nasai' to the end. Said after the person says 'tadaima.'

**Omae o korosu-'**I'll kill you!' 'Omae' being the macho, and somewhat vulgar way of referring to someone. This is also Hiro's (from GW) favorite line.

**Omae wa-'**And you are . . .?'

**Omedeto _Gozaimasu_-'**Congratu_lations_.' When Kaoru says it to Nishiwagi, it is so dripping with sarcasm that I'm surprised he wasn't slipping on it.

**Onamae-'**Name.' As always, with an 'O' at the beginning, this usually means you are talking about someone else.

**Oro-**Kenshin's all-purpose save your ass word. It can be used for surprise, shock, hurt and a lot of other things.

**Otenba-'**Tomboy' (I had one hell of a time looking this one up).

**Otousan-'**Father.' This is the way you usually address him to his face, if you are talking to someone else in Japan, they would think you were talking about _their_ dads.

**Rurouni-'**Wanderer.' It's been rumored that Nobuhiro Watsuki made up this word. I'm not sure.

**Ryuu-'**style.' Just in case you were confused.

**Sakabatou-A** katana with the bladed and blunt edges reversed so that the blade is on the inside of the curve making the blunt edge on the outside curve; that being the side that people attack with.

**Sama-'**Lord/master'. It is barley ever used in most regular Japanese conversation unless it's sarcastic.

**San-'**Mr./Miss/Mrs./ect.'

**Sengoku Jidai-'**The warring states era.' Otherwise known as 'the age of war lords.'

**Sensei**-'Teacher.' However, when put at the end of a doctor's name, it can be interpreted as the 'Dr.' that comes before.

**Shihondai-'**Instructor,' 'assistant master,' 'the second in command.' That is what Kaoru is.

**Shinai-**A sword made out of bamboo. Not as dangers as a bokken. Yahiko's favorite weapon.

**Shine-'**Dai!' (And it is pronounced Shee-neh).

**Shoji-**A door made out of wood, with rice paper squares here and there. My dad has a screen like that.

**Soo ne-** 'That true' stuff like that. In this case he's saying 'I guess not.'

**Sumanu**-'Sorry.' I've also herd him say 'sumanai' which means 'unforgivable' they pretty much are the same thing. To use this as 'I'm sorry' shows _a lot_ of humbleness.

**Tadaima-'**I'm home.'

**Wa-**Subject marker. I figured people would ask.

**Wakatta-'**I know,' 'I understand.' It can even be used to ask a question to ask if the person understands.

**Yare yare-'**Oh well,' 'oh brother,' 'good grief,' and all that other jazz.

**Yokatta-'**Good.' This has also been translated as 'thank goodness,' or 'I'm glad.'

**Yoshi-'**Good/all right.' That is to say that the situation is looking better. (Pronounced yo-sh.)

A/N:

**MNP**: Well, what do you think? R&R please, they help my musses to think up new stuff.

**Sano**: Damn strait!

**Inuyasha**: Shut up tori atama.

**Sano**: WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?

**MNP**: SHUT IT! (Claps hands, and transmutes the carpet into mufflers and clamps them onto the quibbling musses.) Anyway, please R&R so I can keep writing. And a couple things to keep in mind: I won't be able to update for a while because I'll be working on two other fics. Another thing to keep in mind is that most of my chapters after this will not be as long as this one was (hopefully). And the last helpful hint is that we won't actually meet up with Harry until a couple chapters from now. But don't worry, we will meet up with him and that's a promise. Well, see you when I update. Hopefully it won't be long off. Buy. OH, one more thing, I need to know what house I should put Soujiro in. Let me know, I'll give you guys plenty of time to tell me. OK that is all, it's a full lid so see you latter.


	3. Ch 2 Old Freinds, New Life

**Katana Wands**

**Disclaimer: Do I really have to say it? Just read the others.**

Chapter Two:Old Friends, New Life

Misao looked out over the landscape as it sailed by the window on the jitenshya. She saw the trees and rice fields slowly but steadily replaced by more and more buildings and roads. As she looked toward the front of the train, she could see the Tokyo sky line in all its glorious majesty creep upon her like a predator stalking its prey at an annoyingly slow pace. It wasn't that she didn't want to go visit Kaoru, quite the contrary, considering Kaoru was one of her very best friends since her first year at Hogwarts, but she was somewhat reluctant to take this trip.

Misao had _always _seen Kaoru as friend and sempai. They shared the same view on how to deal with those who were ignorant enough to target them and their friends as easy pray: a swift right hook to the jaw, and/or a succession of wacks on the head with the closest kenjutsu weapon at hand. And, that explained how at the end of Kaoru's second year, the only people fool enough to mess with the feisty kenjutsu shihondai were a few key Slytherins that couldn't get it through their thick skulls that she was not to be messed with. And Enishi still hadn't learned, even though he had graduated this year.

She was the kenjutsu komichi.

And, that was why Misao was more than a little reluctant to see her.

The day that Kaoru had been told of her father's death, she and Misao had met in the hallway on their way to class after breakfast. Misao on her way to the seventh floor, Kaoru on her way to Transfiguration. But, then McGonagall-sensei walked up to them and asked to talk to Kaoru, and told Misao that it would be best that she be there as well. She led them to an empty classroom where they couldn't be overheard.

To someone who would have been watching the scene play out from the outside, all they would have been able to see would be McGonagall-sensei speaking to Kaoru, and then, Kaoru looking as if she had just been slapped in the face. Kaoru said a few short words and McGonagall-sensei slowly and reluctantly shook her head. Kaoru's knees gave out as she sank to the floor. Misao caught her just in time. The dam broke and tears began to fall from her eyes in a steady cascade of sorrow. The occasional sob that came, when Kaoru could not hold them in, the only sound that were heard.

That was the last time Misao saw Kaoru. Right after that, Dumbledore-sensei had given Kaoru leave to go back home to Tokyo to attend her father's funeral, and before Misao could say goodby, Kaoru was on her way back to Japan.

Misao looked up as she noticed that the jitensha had stopped and the passengers were rushing by her seat on their way to get to the exit before the doors closed.

Misao quickly picked up her bag and headed out the doors right before they slammed shut behind her. She looked around the gigantic station trying to get her bearings. She spotted the sign that pointed the way to the east gate and thanked her lucky stars. The exit wasn't far off.

One bus ride and a short walk later, Misao found herself heading down the street Kaoru and Genzai-sensei lived on.

Misao was _so_ lost in her thoughts that it wasn't until she was half-way up the block, when she noticed there was someone standing in front of the gate, as if debating whether or not to go in. Misao did a double take, just to make sure she was seeing correctly, but then she realized it was completely obvious _why_ this particular person would be here.

"Konnichiwa, McGonagall-sensei," Misao called out in her bright genki voice.

McGonagall-sensei started at the sound of the enthusiastic voice of one of her students. She turned and saw Misao walking towards her at a lighter step than before. "Ahh, Makimachi-san. Genki desu ka?" she said somewhat brokenly. No matter how many years Hogwarts had spent in the exchange program, McGonagall-sensei was still not entirely fluent in Japanese. But, at least she kept her dubbing necklece with her in case of emergencies.

"Hai, sensei. Genki desu" replied Misao, "Are you here to give Kaoru-san her work from last-"

CRASH!

Misao's question was cut off by a crash and shouts coming from inside the gate.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TRYING TO DO, BUSU! KILL ME!"

"FIVE HUNDRED MORE SWINGS, YAHIKO!"

"WHY DO I HAVE TO LISTEN TO WHAT _YOU_ SAY!"

"WATASHI WA ONEESAN, _THAT'S _WHY!"

"Maa maa, you two. We can settle thi- ORO!" And, another crash was heard. At the sound of this new voice, McGonagall-sensei gave a slight start. She knew that voice. _'Am I _hearing_ things?'_

McGonagall-sensei looked in Misao's direction and their eyes met. They knew what they had to do. And, with an intake of breath, Misao and McGonagall-sensei pushed open the gate and entered what they _expected_ to be a battlefield (complete with fox holes). Instead, they found an _almost_ pristine courtyard with the exception of some kitchen utensils and cookery (a tempura wok being among them), thrown about and a dented metal wash basin complete with wet clothes strewn about and a soaked, swirly-eyed, red-haired rurouni with a large bump on his head laying in the middle of the carnage.

"Kenshin! Gomen nasai! Daijoubu ka!" A worried Kaoru ran across the yard to help the dazed redhead.

All while this was going on, the two people at the gate witnessed the chaos with slack jaws, not quite sure what to do. All they could do was just stand there and watch as the strange man reassured Kaoru that he was all right. That is, until Yahiko noticed them out of the corner of his eye, and turned to face them.

"Hey, Misao!" he said waving to her. Both Kaoru and Kenshin looked up and noticed the visitors as well. "Tomodachi wa dare da? Obaa-san?"

'_. . . obaa-san . . ?'_ was all that McGonagall-sensei could think with a huge amount of indignation before two fists sent Yahiko crashing into the dojo wall.

"KORE WA MCGONAGALL-SENSEI, BAKA!" yelled both Misao and Kaoru, their faces as red as Kenshin's hair.

" . . . oh, oops." said a dazed Yahiko before collapsing on the ground.

&&&&&

After putting Yahiko in his room so he could get bandaged up after his double beating, Kaoru and McGonagall-sensei went to the kitchen where they could talk in relative privacy. Kaoru took another look at her teacher. Kaoru was used to seeing McGonagall-sensei in her witche's robes and always thought that she was the type of witch whom would mistake a nightgown for a set of dress robes, but now that she was in the Muggle part of the world, Kaoru had to kick herself for thinking that McGonagall-sensei would not do at _least_ a _little_ bit of research on what Muggles wore before venturing out among them. She could pass for a strict schoolteacher . . . which she was.

"McGonagall-sensei?" asked Kaoru, as she closed the door (making sure that Yahiko couldn't eavesdrop this time). "I know that you came here to give me my work for the term I missed, but really, you shouldn't have bothered." In reality, she didn't want to have this conversation, but she knew it would have to happen sooner or later. And she had thought about how to break it to . . . someone.

"Nonsense, Kamiya-san. You are one of my best students and I have no intention of letting you fall behind in your-"

"That's not what I meant, sensei," Kaoru stated, putting her hand up to halt her teacher. "What I meant to say is that I have decided not to go back to Hogwarts."

&&&&&

Misao eyed the redhead, who was back to doing the laundry with his sleeves rolled up to his shoulders, with suspicion. '_Well, who _wouldn't_ be suspicious when this guy is currently washing your best friend's underwear?' _She had promised Kaoru that she would wait to hear her explanation about why she had opened her home to a total stranger. She knew that Kaoru was many things, and a fool was _not_ one of them. So why had she done something so foolhardy? For all Misao knew, this guy could be a serial killer and was planning to rape and kill Kaoru in her sleep (A/N: DAMN IT, what is it with me and rape, I HATE NCS FICS). She did, also, notice the way that McGonagall-sensei had looked at him when they made eye contact. And visa-versa.

It definitely looked like they knew each other from somewhere. And, it also looked like they hadn't expected to run into each other. There was a moment of combined shock, surprise, and recognition from both McGonagall-sensei and this "Himura" character, even though there was more shock and surprise coming from Himura's direction than from the sensei's.

Tons of questions burned on the tip of Misao's tongue, but she couldn't ask them. She had promised Kaoru she would wait for her to explain what this man was doing here. And, when she thought back to how McGonagall-sensei had recognized him, even more questions came.

So she just sat there on the steps watching the strange red-haired man.

'_Well, might as well start the interrogation.' _She had promised Kaoru that she would wait, but there were questions she could get out of the way without making it look like she was pressing too hard.

"So, how long have you known Kaoru?"

Kenshin looked up from the laundry, faking a slightly-startled look. He had sensed that Misao was practically burning with questions. However, he still managed to pull off a convincing "Oro? Ettou, for a few days." And he went back to cleaning clothes.

Misao stared at him. "And she lets you wash her laundry?"

Kenshin sighed. "Misao-san? It's ok for you to ask your questions. I will answer them as well as I can."

Misao thought for a little bit, trying to come up with a question that would seem unobtrusive, or at the very least, not too personal, so as not to break her promise to Kaoru. _'Well, let's start with the most obvious._'"Majo, mahoutsukai, squib, or Muggle?"

This time he didn't have to fake it. "ORO!"

"Anou . . . ok. I asked whether you were a majo, mahoutsukai, squib, or Muggle," she repeated, then thought, _'What the hell does 'oro' mean?'_

"Ettou . . . mahoutsukai desu. Misao-san, I don't think that was the question you wanted to ask me. You can ask me any question you want," Kenshin corrected.

Misao momentarily wondered _how _he knew she was faking . . . but then she remembered how lame the question was. "Ok. I would just like to know what the _hell_ you are doing here," she said flat out.

Kenshin gave her one of his most innocent smiles and said, "Sentaku imasu."

Misao facefaulted, then got right up in his face. "TALK!"

"KAMIYA-SAN! I really_ must_ protest!" the voice, which officially ended the argument (and sent Misao careening to the ground), sounded from the direction of the kitchen. "This is your _education_ you're talking about! Your future!"

Misao and Kenshin looked at each other and silently decided to go check it out. They met Yahiko at the door, who apparently shared their view.

All three of them silently slid the kitchen door open a crack, and saw Kaoru and McGonagall-sensei sitting at the table talking, or rather, arguing. It seemed like they had been at it for a while. McGonagall-sensei looked like she was about to explode. Kaoru kept her face straight and resolute. She really did want to go back to Hogwarts, she really did. But then . . . what about the dojo? She had thought long and hard over this. Looked at every possible angle, scowered every possible course of action, yet came up with the same conclusion each time. Even if she could get the dojo's reputation back up to where it was before the fake Battousai incident in time for her to go to school, there were still many other things that kept her from going back to Hogwarts.

"I know this is about my future," she said, "but this dojo has been in my family for at _least _a century. Yahiko is the only other person in my family, and he's too young to take charge of the dojo while I'm at Hogwarts." (At this, Yahiko tried to storm in and give Kaoru a piece of his mind . . . but Misao and Kenshin grabbed him and covered his mouth while he struggled.) "I'm the shihondai of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu, and I can't keep the dojo alive if I'm stuck at Hogwarts."

"But, you so wanted to go into magical law enforcement. You would make a _splendid _Auror. You'd be giving up on a career where your talents could be utilized in the most perfectly possible way, in both physical _and_ magical. You could do so much good!" McGonagall-sensei was grabbing at straws, trying to find a way to convince Kaoru to stay in school. Kaoru was such a good student that it would be a great loss to the whole wizarding community (as well as Gryffindor, Hogwarts itself, and Kaoru) if she were to drop out. She had lost some of her steam after Kaoru's reasoned response; she couldn't think of a way to fix the situation, so she tried the "What you would be missing" approach.

It didn't work. Kaoru held firm to her decision.

"I know I had my heart set on being an Auror, I might still be able to accomplish that through the night classes that the ministry offers."

McGonagall-sensei saw the opening and latched onto it. "But that requires you to be fluent in two languages. You've already started on English, and there's no better place for you to learn than Hogworts."

Kaoru almost rolled her eyes at the last ditch effort to sway her decision. "Let's face it: with all the work Tanaka-sensei gave us before my father died, and the fact that I was already struggling in English, the only way I would be able to get a passing grade next year would be to get a private tutor: and, right now, I can barely afford to pay the bills. And, even though Megumi-san went to Hogwarts (and she's the only other person I know who has) she has assured me that her English is very weak."

Opening after opening. "But, what about Himura-san? He went to Hogwarts and, I can assure you, when he left, he was most fluent. And, might very well be still."

"TSU!"

Kaoru and McGonagall-sensei froze for a moment before turning to the source of the sudden sneeze: the door.

Both Kaoru and McGonagall-sensei walked over and opened the door to see Kenshin, Misao, and Yahiko in a slightly-tangled mess (thanks to Yahiko) and at least one of each person's hand placed on Kenshin's mouth in a belated attempt to stifle Kenshin's unexpected sneeze. Each one looked as if he/she had just been caught with their collective hands in the cookie jar.

&&&&&

"So is it true that you got full marks in English at Hogwarts?" Kaoru asked in an almost avid manner, wanting to be absolutely sure that 1. This was not a dream and 2. She had not misheard McGonagall-sensei earlier.

All of them were now sitting at the kitchen table after getting the eavesdropping trio untangled. Kaoru was looking at Kenshin with barley-canceled excitement. For the last few weeks, after her father's funeral, she had resigned herself to never going back to Hogwarts because she believed it next-to-impossible with all the problems that kept arising. But, now a glimmer of hope started to shine through the curtain of gloomy resolution she had hidden her pain in since her father's funeral.

"Hai, I did, and I have tried to remain fluent during my travels, though it's hard with no one to practice with," answered Kenshin, a little nervous at suddenly being the center of attention.

"But, you still got full marks?" Kaoru pressed.

"Hai."

There was a pause of about five full seconds, then, Kaoru knelt in front of Kenshin, her forehead pressed against the floorboards, and said, in the most respectful voice she could muster, "Onegai, take Sessha as a student in the art of the English language."

To say that the other people in the room were holding their breath would be an understatement. They were on the edge if their seats with anticipation for the future of their friend as they all looked in Kenshin's direction. And, Kenshin never expected anything like this to happen to him. Ever. He _was_ planning to go back to England one of these days, but teach English to someone else? _That _was something he had never even considered. He would be the first one to say that he didn't know the first thing about teaching.

It was around this time that he started to feel a little bit uncomfortable with everyone staring at him. Plus, Kaoru looked like she was starting to get stiff in that hunched-over position on the floor.

"Kaoru-san, I really don't know all that much about teaching."

"You don't have to!" Kaoru cried out, as she straightened up, yet still kneeling. "All you have to do is tell me if I'm getting it right or not."

Kenshin took a moment to consider this: _'I suppose I could do that, and it would help Kaoru-san in going back to school_._ There are already to many dropouts out there._' "Ettou . . . I guess I could . . ." he began tentatively, but was then interrupted by both Misao and Yahiko as they both started celebrating. "But, please, don't bow, it would be really awkward," he said to Kaoru, averting his eyes with a blush, as she sweatdropped. And right then, Kaoru noticed her shirt was . . . showing a bit. She closed it quickly as her face went as red as a tomato.

&&&&&

And so it went. For the next few weeks, Kaoru could rarely be seen outside of practice in the mornings, giving lessons, and meal times. The rest of her time was spent walled up in her room, putting her nose to the grindstone as no one had ever done so before. Kenshin would periodically go in and tutor her throughout the day, so she would be kept on track, and fixing problems from where she was either doing things wrong or where she needed improvement.

Kenshin proved to be worth his weight in gold. He was not only _fluent_ in the language, but he also knew the _history_ behind it. To how the German language branched off into English when it came to the British Ilse, to why the French changed the rule of "who" and "whom." He knew it all.

And, that was why, near the end of July, Kaoru (with Kenshin's help) was completely up-to-date in her make-up work, and then some. Which, by a happy coincidence, is when McGonagall-sensei decided to drop by once more. But, this time, she wasn't there to see Kaoru.

&&&&&

A knock sounded through the dojo yard as Kenshin was bent over the metal wash bin. He stood up, walked over, and opened the door to reveal "McGonagall-sensei! Douzo." Kenshin stepped to and let her in. "Ogenki desu ka?"

"O jama shimasu, genki desu," said McGonagall-sensei.

"Yokatta desu. I think that Kaoru's in the dojo," explained Kenshin, heading over to the building.

"I didn't come here to see Kamiya-san, Himura."

Kenshin looked back at McGonagall-sensei. "Oh?"

"Yes," she said, "in fact, I'm here to offer you the English position job at Hogwarts."

At that precise moment, the door to the dojo opened and there stood Kaoru and Yahiko, who, by the looks on their faces, had heard everything.

"Kenshin wa sensei?"

&&&&&

A/N: I know, I know, it's almost been a year since I ast updated, but you try writing a fanfic while your switching schools and the school you're going to changes your schedule every _five weeks_. And then, your editor loses her motivation (I thought I was the one who was supposed to have motivation). Hopefully the next chapter won't take as long to write. Ok, Chosha, I've updated, your turn. Thank you to all of the reviewers . . . all six of you.

See you next time.

**Glossary:**

**Anou-**uh . . . that's what it means.

**Busu-**ugly, hag . . . and proof that Yahiko is blind.

**Daijoubu ka-**Are you all right? Take the "ka" and it's just "all right."

**Dojo-**A school for marshal arts.

**Douzo-**After you, come in, just your all around polite word.

**Ettou-**uhm . . no, that's literally what it means.

**Genki-**literal translation is "healthy, fine."It can also mean "up beat" or "energetic." Well, at least Misao is healthy.

**Gomen nasai-**I'm sorry, forgive me, basic plea for forgiveness. The "nasai" at the end is optional, use it to be more polite.

**Hai-**Yes. 'Noughsaid.

**jitensha-**it basically a train that runs directly from Tokyo to Kyoto and back, it's about a two hour ride.

**Kamiya Kasshin Ryu-**Kaoru's sword style.

**kenjutsu-**literally, and figuratively means sword arts.

**Kenjutsu komichi-**I looked up the actual translation for "komichi**" **and it literally means "lane or path." But I guess there's another translation out there that makes "kenjutsu komichi" translate into something like "princess of swordsmanship.**"**

**Kenjutsu shihondai-** Assistant master of swordsmanship.

**Kenshin wa sensei-**Kenshin, a teacher? Will he except the post? Dun dun duuuuunnnnnnn.

**Konnichiwa-**Good day, literallytranslated, it means "this day is" but is basically just a greeting now a days.

**KORE WA MCGONAGALL-SENSEI, BAKA!-**THAT'S MCGONAGALL-SENSEI, YOU IDIOT! "Baka" being "idiot."

**Maa maa-**Now now, as in settle down children.

**Mahotsukai-**wizard.

**Majo-**which

**O/ Genki desu/ ka-**depending on whether you use the" ka" or not, it can mean "how are you doing?" Or "I'm doing well." The "O" is also optional, But only for asking the question, and want to be even more respectful.

**O jama shimasu-**forgive the intrusion. Literally it means that you're about to do something rude or get in the way, but now it's just used when you're entering someone's home.

**Obasan-**grandma, old lady, old hag . . . no wonder Yahiko got pummeled. He probably just meant grandma but, there you go.

**Oro-**just something Kenshin says when he doesn't have anything else to say.

**Rurouni-**Wanderer, and if you didn't know that, than what are you doing reading an RK fanfic.

**Sempai-**upperclassmen, or just person above me.

**San-**Mr., Miss, Mrs., . . . need I say more.

**Sensei-**teacher, professor, and that way we get "Professor McGonagall"

**Sentaku imasu-**Doing the laundry. "Sentaku" equals "laundry" and "imasu" equals "doing."

**Shihondai-**Assistant master, adjacent master, instructor, you get the idea.

**Tomodachi wa dare da-**Who's your friend? "Tomodachi" is "friend" and "dare" is "who." The rest of them are conjectures..

**TSU!-**ACHOO! . . . sniff. At least that's what my first Japanese teacher told me.

**WATASHI WA ONEESAN-**I'M YOUR SISTER! "Watashi" is "I" (at least for polite people), and "Oneesan" means older sister.

**Yokatta-**I'm glad, that's good to know, just . . . good.


	4. sorry

This is not an update, sorry.

I am profoundly sorry to all those who have been waiting for an update to this story.

I was going to update some time in the next few weeks, but the flash drive and the laptop that I keep my story on were stolen a few days ago so, I'm going to have to go back and rewrite the next chapter, but don't worry, I have not given up on Katana Wands by a long shot.

Meiji no pan


End file.
